Alloys

An alloy is a material made up of two or more metals. Alloys have certain specific, desirable characteristics, including strength, formability, and corrosion resistance.

Some of the common elements alloyed with aluminum include copper, manganese, silicon, magnesium, and zinc. Typical applications and uses of aluminum alloys include building products (siding and structural), rigid and flexible packaging (foil, food, and beverage cans), and transportation (automobiles, aircraft, and rail cars).

Chemical composition limits for commercialized alloys are registered with The Aluminum Association Inc., which reviews and assigns appropriate alloy designations to the set of composition limits. The Association maintains “registration records” listing domestic and internationally registered composition limits and their corresponding alloy designations.

These registration records include:

• International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Wrought Aluminum and Wrought Aluminum Alloys, commonly referred to as the Teal Sheets, reflecting the color of the paper on which they are printed;
• Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Aluminum Alloys in the Form of Castings and Ingots (“Pink Sheets”), which can be ordered online from the association’s BookStore.

It should be noted that The Aluminum Association is the only entity recognized by the American National Standards Institute for the registration of aluminum alloy compositions and assignment of alloy designations.